About the Guest Contributors

Bacon– was raised in Christian Science and stayed with it until quite recently. An enthusiastic and voracious reader, non-fiction appealed to Bacon, who realized that the Bible was really a horrible thing when taken literally, and a very contradictory text as well. Bacon preferred Science and Health for its poetic feel that did not rely on parables. It seemed almost a whimsical snapshot of MBE’s time, when put in historical context.

EG (aka Emerging Gently) – is a former Christian Scientist (a lifer–born and raised in it). A Principia College graduate/survivor, he is still amazed at how long he stayed in Christian Science, only having “emerged” from it recently. When he is not writing critically (and sometimes sarcastically) about Christian Science on Kindism or his own blog, Emerging Gently (he thinks Science and Health is the most eloquent example there is of someone saying the same thing over and over again for 600 pages, using the most complex run-on sentences–like this one he’s written here), or slaving away at his day job, and making sure the cat is fed, EG can be found throwing himself down the local slopes on skis in the winter, or on a mountain bike in the summer (see, you had to read this sentence at least twice to understand it, admit it). He also likes kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking, photography, cooking, long walks on the beach at sunset, and a cold beverage at the end of a long day. If sarcasm were beauty, he would be a male supermodel.

Joseph Woodbury III – I live in London, and came into CS voluntarily when I was twelve. My once-Catholic parents were unperturbed by my attending the CS Sunday school, as that was the nearest church of any denomination to our house. The church was also a magnificent example of arts and crafts design, and is frequently mentioned favourably in works on British architecture of the early twentieth century. I have never been a member of the CS Church, but ever since Sunday school have always maintained an unhealthy interest in its vicissitudes. My interest is rather less in the religion, and more in the people who were attracted to it – especially in the early period; my two big heroines are Augusta “I can demonstrate money” Stetson, and Josephine “Virgin Mother” Woodbury. While an active and prominent member of Mrs. Eddy’s coterie in Boston, Josephine brought forth a man-child that she claimed was engendered by the power of thought, and called him the Prince of Peace. Mrs. Eddy denounced and excommunicated her from the pulpit, denominating the Boston babe an Imp of Satan. I am the spiritual heir of the Imp of Satan, hence my proud nom de plume Joseph Woodbury III.

Mr. Spock – Mr. Spock is a highly logical man frustratingly lost in a sea of illogical humanity. He is a former Christian Scientist who saw the light and realized there is not one shred of logic to be found in Christian Science. He is a graduate of Principia College. When not toiling away for the “man” at his day job, he can be found paddling in his kayak on a lake, crashing through the woods on his mountain bike, or hurtling down snow-covered mounain slopes in the winter (on skis). He also enjoys a quality beer on a hot day, and intelligent conversation. He revels in the reality of matter, the wonders of REAL science and evidence-based medicine, and is slowly learning to embrace the wide spectrum of human emotions that Christian Science once denied him. Sometimes, he finds himself crying for no apparent reason…

Patient #5 –Patient #5 spent over 20 years involved with the Christian Science faith out of default. From the first remembered experience at a local Sunday School at around the age of 4 Patient #5 had strong internal feelings of not being able to relate to the religion on any level but parental pressures forced a course of continued involvement. This path persisted throughout early life as experiences included forced weekly church attendance, Cedars Camp, and finally Principia College. After graduating from the college in the 1980’s Patient #5 had experienced enough and completely abandoned the religion and any of its affiliations. 30 years later, Patient #5 has come to the strong conclusion that Christian Science has many disturbing cult like tendencies that keep its members from having open minds or the logic to deal with important physical issues. Although Patient #5 ultimately chose a course of abandoning all organized religion, certain religious concepts have been retained – one in particular from the Buddhist faith is the law of Karma. Looking now at Christian Science’s countless empty, closed or closing churches and continued failed member replacement it appears quite clear to Patient #5 that the law of Karma is fully engaged.

realscience – realscience (yes, this is intentionally in lower case) is a former Christian Scientist, Principia College graduate, and recently retired after 30-plus years as a technical writer at one of our nation’s nuclear laboratories. He was so upset at reading about Principia’s new “Institute for the Metaphysics of Physics” that he actually sat down and wrote something.

Rogue Sheep – Rogue Sheep was raised as a Christian Scientist, went to a Christian Science summer camp, and attended Principia Upper School and College. She made her break from Christian Science in 2005 and there has been much trial and error since then. Over the years she became comfortable in her secular lifestyle and didn’t give Christian Science much thought, let alone think about searching for ex-Christian Scientist support groups or blogs. But that changed recently. And now she wants to share her stories of figuring out how to navigate the medical world with the hope that it might help someone else who feels just as clueless as she did.

the Vicomte de Chagny – the Vicomte is a former Christian Scientist & Principia College graduate. He is grateful to Prin for helping him hone his critical thinking and writing skills, nurturing his natural desire to be involved in as many activities as possible, and giving him a solid foundation on which to build a CS-free life. (He occasionally appreciates the irony in that.) When not writing guest posts for Kindism.org, he writes a lot of other things under a number of other names. He likes long hot showers, ice-cold beverages, and the feeling of removing his shoes at the end of a long day – because really, everyone likes those things.

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3 thoughts on “Guest Posts & Contributors”

Thanks for creating this blog, my acquaintance of CS comes by marriage to one. I never could get my brain wrapped around any of it though I’m a JC believer. I read many of the books mentioned here as a way to learn how in the world anyone could be so utterly devoted to such utter nonsense. I could never get past thinking CS was the ultimate multi-level marketing pyramid scheme crock. The last book I found was the one Mark Twain got published. It’s good to expose MBE’s legacy of being nothing more than cold blooded business woman.

I am a 3rd generation CS and can identify with the sentiments here from the majority of the participants on this site.
However, I condemn the BOD of TMC from 1910 to date, for what is wrong with the healing arts associated with CS metaphysics.
I am sympathetic with everyone who has suffered in the name of CS after Mrs. E’s passing. Because, I believe this is where everything went wrong.
Mrs. E never wanted a material organized system of worship in the first place. She, in my opinion, hoped for continued growth on the college/institution model as the means for teaching others the CS healing arts.
Yours in an open dialogue,
Kelmer

Kelmer, my mother agrees with you. At aged 99, she still practices CS. Her age has everything to do with genetics, though, and not CS: her father was 103 when he died in 1974 and his father was 99 when he died in 1941. Neither were followers of CS. My mother was a CS nurse and raised my two sisters and I in Christian Science doctrine. We attended Sunday school, received our manuals and knew no other life, really. While we had our Sunday school friends, no one else our age could relate to our beliefs and we mostly kept them to ourselves, innately knowing we’d sound weird expounding them. It was a lonely, mixed up childhood, confusing, covert, cultish. Despite my mother’s huge contribution to her religion and devotion to her clients, she is alone: CS denies age, has no outreach programs for their seniors and really no social connections whatsoever that I am aware of. My mother constantly uses the excuse that organizing in a church form was not what Mrs. Eddy wanted. She perpetuates this as she sits alone in her room daily, with her books as companions, usually in extreme pain. She has very little hearing left and her eyes are also failing. No one from the church visits and we, her daughters, find it difficult because of her enduring beliefs and our rejection of them. Do you think ths is what Mrs Eddy wanted? I have no idea.

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